Independence police said the shooting was the result of a dispute between neighbors in the 300 block of West Farmer.

According to investigators, a husband and wife called police at 6 a.m. saying that a neighbor had damaged their property. Police said that during the call, shots were fired.

"We woke up to banging in the hall and, 'Open up! Police' knocking on the other door," said Laura Wright, who lives next door to the victims.

The couple were taken to the hospital. Police said they are in critical condition.

Authorities said Jeffrey Wahl, 69, has been charged with two counts of assault and two counts of armed criminal action. He had been charged Monday with misdemeanor assault, property damage and stealing in connection with incidents involving other neighbors.

Those neighbors said they heard a commotion outside their home and saw Wahl leaving with their mailbox. Wright said those neighbors got the mailbox back, but then they heard a commotion out back by their car.

"The guy that was arrested this morning stood up from the front passenger side of his car with a knife, said, 'You're next,' and chucked a beer can at him, and took off," Wright said.

She said that family was so frightened that they slept at a relative's home that night.

One neighbor reported avoiding Wahl as often as possible, citing the number of times he was seen hauling large amounts of beer into his apartment from the U-Haul van.

"I leave him alone," the neighbor said.

Neighbors said they don't know what sparked Tuesday's shooting, but one of the tires on the couple's car has been flattened. Police said the woman called 911 to report a problem with a neighbor just before the shooting.

Neighbors said the victims are known for being delightful people and wonderful neighbors. They said they can't imagine why anyone would shoot them.

A BIZARRE CASE IS UNFOLDING IN INDEPENDENCE TONIGHT. AND IN THE LAST HOUR, PROSECUTORS CHARGED 69-YEAR OLD JEFF WAHL WITH SHOOTING TWO NEIGHBORS WITH THEIR OWN GUN... AFTER RINGING THEIR DOORBELL AND SCUFFLING WITH THEM. KMBC 9'S PEGGY BREIT IS LIVE WHERE IT HAPPENED, FARMER AND OSAGE. PEGGY... COURT DOCUMENTS SAY THAT WAHL CAME TO THE VICTIMS' HOME HERE AT SIX THIS MORNING. HE TOLD INVESTIGATORS HE WANTED TO CONFRONT THE COUPLE ABOUT HANDICAPPED STICKERS ON THEIR CARS. BUT WHEN THE HOMEOWNER ANSWERED THE DOOR WITH A GUN IN HIS HAND, WAHL ADMITS HE ATTACKED, WRESTLED THE GUN AWAY... THEN SHOT THE COUPLE BEFORE FLEEING TO HIS HOME... THREE DOORS AWAY. IT'S SCARY, VERY SCARY. SEVERAL NEIGHBORS HEARD THE GUNFIRE... AND THEN SAW THE POLICE HONING IN ON THIS DUPLEX DOOR. LAURA WRIGHT LIVES ON THE OTHER SIDE. WE WOKE UP TO BANGING IN THE HALL AND OPEN UP, POLICE, KNOCKING ON THE OTHER DOOR. LAURA SAYS THE MAN POLICE WERE AFTER IS 69-YEAR OLD JEFF WAHL... A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER FOR CRIMES AGAINST TWO GIRLS IN CALIFORNIA. JUST YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, POLICE CONFIRM WAHL WAS CHARGED WITH MISDEMEANORS FOR A SERIES OF INCIDENTS WITH OTHER NEIGHBORS. THOSE NEIGHBORS TOLD LAURA THEY SAW WAHL WALKING OFF WITH THEIR MAILBOX. LAURA TELLS US THEY GOT THE MAILBOX BACK, BUT THEN HEARD A COMMOTION IN THE BACK BY THEIR CAR. THE GUY THAT WAS ARRESTED THIS MORNING STOOD UP FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF HIS CAR WITH A KNIFE, SAID YOU'RE NEXT, AND CHUCKED A BEER CAN AT HIM, AND TOOK OFF. WAHL WAS CHARGED WITH ASSAULT, PROPERTY DAMAGE AND STEALING. LAURA SAYS THE FAMILY THAT LIVED HERE WAS SO FRIGHTENED THEY LEFT HOME AND SLEPT AT A RELATIVE'S HOUSE OVERNIGHT. NEIGHBORS DON'T KNOW WHAT SPARKED THE SHOOTING AT THIS HOUSE JUST A FEW HOURS LATER ... BUT ONE OF THE COUPLE'S TIRES IS FLATTENED. AND POLICE SAY THE WOMAN HERE HAD CALLED 9-1-1, REPORTING A PROBLEM WITH A NEIGHBOR, JUST MOMENTS BEFORE THE SHOOTING. NEIGHBORS SAY THE COUPLE ARE KNOWN AROUND HERE FOR BEING DELIGHTFUL PEOPLE, WONDERFUL NEIGHBORS. LIVE IN